But I Have Something to Tell You
by SoccerLexie
Summary: Brennan and Booth are back from their year-long sabbatical. They meet up exactly where they said they would. But there's an unexpected twist.  Super-duper light "T".  Mostly Brennan POV.  I own none of the characters, BTW. Fox does. :-


Temperance Brennan was _not_ late.

She may have been rushing to get to her destination, but she would not be late. Unlike many people, she would not break a promise. Brennan quickly caught a cab and dropped off her bags at her apartment, not taking the time to refresh herself or unpack. Her scarf, woven by natives of the Maluku Island, caught in the door of her apartment, and she cursed, anxious to lessen her arrival time.

She was jet-lagged and exhausted. Brennan was slightly filthy and yearning for a real, queen sized bed located in something other than a shack. She couldn't wait to satisfy her hunger pains at the Diner; she still hadn't had an American meal since the plane landed 6 hours ago. She mentally urged the cab driver to go a bit faster, even though logically her inner thoughts could not affect the time she would get there.

When the cab came to a halt, Brennan threw a twenty over to the man and hastily told him to "keep the change." She opened the door and started to walk briskly down the sidewalk, lost in thoughts and anxieties. Inevitably, everything changes. It is inescapable; organisms do not have a choice in the matter. But how would a year apart, with minimal contact, affect their partnership?

She knew that things would be different. She wanted them to be different. As much as Brennan despised psychology, she had t admit that Sweets may have been correct when he said that she and Booth were stuck in a "stalemate". They were both physically attracted to each other; Brennan knew signs of male arousal when she saw them, and she was willing to admit that Booth's Zygomatic arch and mandible were pleasingly prominent, and he had a near faultless ratio between his clavicles and Ilium. He also had a perfect acromion…

But even though there was certainly a sexual attraction between the two, Brennan had to admit that the relationship between her and Booth ran much deeper. They were friends and trusted each other implicitly. They had each saved the others life numerous times, and would do anything to help the other, be it writing a recommendation for a new chair to increase social status or donating sperm for a child. They were not "just partners". Brennan knew that; she'd known that for two years now. She knew she let Booth see her as she was; without any walls or pretenses. No one, not even Angela, was allowed to see her as Booth did.

But a deep, platonic friendship was not satisfying for Brennan, not anymore. Beyond her body searching for biological releases, her metaphorical heart was aching for Booth. Brennan wanted to pursue a relationship, even if it meant she might get hurt or hurt the person who meant the most to her. She was afraid, however, that they had missed their moment. She had gotten a chance seven years ago and turned him down. Then, after Sweets' urging, Booth opened himself up to her. He told her that he wanted to give them a chance, regardless of her faults or the statistics saying that, chances were, the partners would fail. But she turned him down. And for the first time, Brennan was feeling a deep regret at listening to her logical, empirical side.

Now, one year after Booth and she left the other to go to Afghanistan and Maluku, she was going to tell him how she felt. How she changed her mind. And how she sincerely hoped Booth hadn't changed his mind; hadn't moved on.

Brennan was almost there. She could see his back turned away from her- it looked as if he were talking on a cell phone. Her body filled with joy at seeing him- for some reason, perhaps due to the adrenaline, she had eyes for only him, and saw nothing else, only Booth.

She quickened her pace and was about six feet away when she was knocked to the ground and felt a hot liquid being thrown onto her head. She heard a yelp as a body fell on top of her, and Brennan strangled out a gasp when an elbow jabbed into her stomach, "knocking the wind out of her", as the expression goes. When she had caught her breath, Brennan shoved the person off of her and observed her unintentional attacker. She had blond hair pulled back in a messy bun and was dressed casually in worn jeans and a t-shirt.

"Ohmygosh, I am so sorry! I had my hands full and didn't see you. I'm such a klutz!" the woman said as she attempted to help Brennan stand and wipe the coffee off of her head and upper body.

"I am fine. I was also not paying attention to my surroundings, so it is not entirely your fault." Brennan tired to brush off the accident so she could get to Booth, but the woman was relentlessly apologetic.

"Do you want me to pay for dry cleaning? That scarf and top look expensive… I apologize again, I feel terrible! By the way, my name is Hannah, Hannah Calloway."

"Temperance Brennan." Brennan answered while kneeling to brush off her pants and pick up her bag. When she stood back up, she was immediately engulfed in a hug by Booth, whom had apparently spotted her.

"Bones!"

"Booth!" They released each other, but still stood closely, Brennan cataloging every change in her partner- everything.

Booth stepped away, grinning widely. "Bones, how are you? Find anything interested in the Malupoo Islands?"

Brennan grinned too, ignoring his purposeful attempt to sabotage the name of the islands. "I've been well, Booth. My research team found some promising evidence, though nothing was confirmed. I admit I reassigned Ms. Wick to another field team within the first week due to her uncontrollable shrieks. But I have something to tell you, Booth. Something that took me a while to realize, but you helped me realize…" Brennan trailed off, noticing how the blond girl whom had crashed into her was still standing near her, staring at Booth.

"Wait, Bones, me first, before you tell me about your amazing anthropological finds!" Booth laughed and smiled one of his charm smiles, looking ecstatically happy. "Bones," he said, "I'd like you to meet Hannah." He put his arm around the blond girl that had fallen on Brennan and rested his hand on the small of her back.

_What? I don't understand. How does he know her? Are they related? Did they serve together? And why is he putting his hand on her like that? Booth only does that to _me_…_

Brennan nodded, choosing to remain silent until Booth clarified and made his point.

"Yes, I have already met Hannah. I was covered in coffee by her earlier. But Booth, can I say what I need to? I believe you will be pleased with—" Brennan attempted to get Booth's attention, but her interrupted.

"Bones, I met Hannah while I was in Afghanistan. She was a reporter there who happened to be from DC too… Bones?" Brennan stepped in front of Booth and looked him in the eyes, positioning herself so Hannah backed up a bit.

"Booth, please. Listen. I have changed my mind. I would very much like it if you would be willing to give this, _us_, a chance still." She looked up at him expectantly, waiting for his response.

Booth backed up a bit, looking shaken and unsure of what she was trying to say, hissed "Hannah is my _fiancée_. I proposed to her when I was discharged last week. " Booth stepped behind Hannah and wrapped his arms around to her front so she was enveloped completely and kissed the top of her head. They were both obviously happy.

_Shit._

"I'll see you at the lab, Booth. Congratulations to the both of you." Brennan turned and fled, trying to ignore the tidal waves of emotions threatening to overwhelm her completely.

She had missed her chance, obviously, and now it was too late.


End file.
